Method of well construction



Aug. I3, 1935. W. KELLY METHOD OF WELLv CONSTRUCTION I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1934 INVENTOR.

R/Y CrmT ATTORNEY.

Wilham Kelly Aug. 13, 1935. w. KELLY METHOD OF WELL CONSTRUCTION Filed June 4. 1934 Q 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

$111M my.

A RNEY.

4 outer casing and Patented Au 13, 1935 I mz'rnon or wnnnoonspmoo'no .Williain Kelly. Grand Island. Nebr. Application June 4,1934, Serial at. 728,824

'9 Claims. (once-21) This invention relates to a method of well construction.

In the construction of we larger sizes, it is common prac 5 the well screen with 9. fl

posed of suitable filtering and gravel. When prope tering envelope lls, particularly in the tice to surround ltering envelope 0031- material such as sand rly constructed, the filpermits the use of a coarser screen less susceptible to clogging, and increases the capacity of the well by area of straining surface t strata. In the general run 0 sults are obtained with an enve presenting a greater 0 the fluid-bearing 1 wells, thev best relope composed of graduated particles running from fine to coarse placed in position in .average size of the particle distance from the screen.

sand may comprise an coarse sand immediat and an outer layer of such an envelope, the

exceed the openings in the screen, and arrangement of. particles layers should be besuch as iOCkiIlg engagement w are restrained from movin particles. In addition,

should result in the a size to prevent the The construction of ular well will of course dep of factors including required depth of the set in place and the ing material. The cas to a position where its the top of the screen.

this type of construction where fine sand is presscreen, but trouble entin the strata and serve its purpose emciently, must a mixed condition with the s decreasing with the For example, an envelope, for use in a fluid strata containing fine inner layer of gravel and coarse and eiy surrounding the screen fine sand. In

size of the gravel should here and the size in the different to result in an inter-" by the finer particles g through the coarser the size of the two grades of sand and their arrangement in the outer layer formation of interstices of passage therethrough of the fine sand in the fluid-bearing strata.

an envelope for a partiebeen used in well con-. filtering envelope around dance with one method a en is-sunk to the end upon a number the side of the well and the nature of the fluid-bearing strata.

Various methods have struction for placing aa well screen. In accor casing larger than the sore well.. The screen is then annular space between the the screen filled with filtering is then moved upward bottom end coincides with This method produces a well the filtering envelope, to

be composed ble experienced arises ing through the water at the. bottom of the well, I

in other instances it has.

ftirely separated from boiling within the water-bearing strata.

' while involving .the construction the larger and heavier particles'reaching the bottom first and forming a layer, and the smaller and lighter particles following forming a superimposed layer.

.In accordance with aQsecQnd method of we ll I 5 construction a well tube pack resting on the bell-shaped bottom of the insertion of the filtering 15 V screen. Following the material, the screen is lowered into the waterbearing strata by bailing the sand out of the bottom of the well, the fllte'ringpack following the screen; This method has been followed in certain instances with arfair degree of success, but 20 been unsuccessful due to the filtering envelopebeing disturbed or enthe screen by caving or Under a third method of well construction a 25 double screen filled with filtering material is s'unkbelow the well casing. method the filtering envelope is not disturbed, but a disadvantage isincurred in that there are two screens to stop up of one. Moreover, a well produced by this method is not in a true sense a filter-packed well sincethe outer screen is eirposed to the water bearing strata. a

It is the object of this invention to provide'an g of well construction. which,

improved method but a single screen, in-

the use of sures the attainment of the character'desired within the well.

The invention. will be understood from scription of the embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1,3, and 4 are sectional views illustrating. in sequence different steps in a method kof constructing a well, v

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a member employed in the construction of the well, and.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the completed well.

The v outside of the well of a. unit A (see Figure 1)- consisting of a well screen l0 constructedwith a rigidly attached cutting-shoe Illa, a filtering envelope H, a retaining shell l2 formed with an upper bandlm and alower band lip, s5

Through the use of this- A and give trouble instead 0 a filtering envelope of the de 1 method illustrated in the drawings involves i at' its upper end with right-hand threads Ida and at its lower end with left-hand threads [4b.

The lock-ring I 4 is constructed with a diameter slightly larger than the internal diameter of the bands In and I2?) in order to engagetherewith as hereafter explained, and for the purpose of permitting its insertion between such bands is formed with fiattened outer surfaces Me.

In the assembly of the unit A, the screen It) is set in anupright position with the cuttingshoe Illa at its lower end, and the retaining shell I! placed over the screen and carefully centered so as to form a true annular space between 'the two parts. The annular space between the screen ID and the retaining shell I2 is then filled with a filtering material consisting of gravel; or sand and gravel, graded and mixed as may be re-v quired by the nature of the fluid-bearing strata. In cases in which it is desirable to use different layers of filtering material, as for instance a layer of gravel and coarse sand adjacent the screen, and 'an outer layer of coarse and fine sand, the result may be achieved by inserting a-dividing cylinder between the screen and the shell, filling in the difierent-layers of filtering material and withdrawing, the dividing cylinder. Following the insertion of the filtering material the lead packerring I3 is placed on top of such material, and the lock-ring I inserted between the bands I2a and 42b of the shell l2 by turning it into a vertical position with surfaces I40 parallel to the side of the shell. The lock-ring I4 is then turned on to the upper end of the screen bringing its lower surface into engagement with-the band I21) and locking the screen l and the outer shell I2 together, su'ch operation completing the assembly.

In carrying out the method illustrated in the drawings, a well casing I is first sunk into the ground to the level of the waterbearing strata i6, and cleaned out-to it bottom. The unit A is then lowered to the b0 tom of the casing l5 by means of a pipe I] screwed into the upper end of the, lock-ring M, the pipe being, extended during the process by adding sections to the -initial section as needed. When the unit A has been lowered to the bottom of the casing I5, as illustrated in Figure 1, the sand beneath the cutting-shoe a is removed through the pipe I! by means of a sand bucket or other suitable apparatus causing the unit to sink below the well After casing into the fluid-bearing strata [6. the unit A has been sunk below the casing l5 into the fluid-bearing strata to the depthdesired, as illustrated in Figure .3, the bottom of the screen I0 is sealed by depositing therein a layer of concrete I8 through a small pipe inserted from the top of the wall.

Following the sealing of the lower end of the screen ID, the pipe I1 is turned to the right unscrewing the lock-ring M from the top of the screen, the turning movement having no affect on the right-handed threaded connection between the pipe l1 and the lock ring l4 except possibly to tighten the same. After the lock-ring M has been unscrewed from the top of the screen ID,

the pipe I! is moved upward until the lock-ring l4 engages the upper band I2a of the retaining shell I2. The pipe I! is then withdrawn from the well'carrying with it the ring I4 and the shell l2, the shell l2 in its upward movement leaving the filtering envelope in ground strata in a substantially unaltered condition.;- See Figure 4 which illustrates an initial stage in the withdrawal and Figure 5 which shows the well in completed form.

After the withdrawal of the pipe l1 and the shell l2, the lead packer-ring I3 is swedged out against the well casing l5, by means of ,appara-' tus inserted from the top of the well, forming a permanent sand-tight joint between the screen l0 and casing l5. This operation completes the well which then has the? form illustrated in Figure -5.

but can be employed with other methods of well construction involving different procedures in installing the unit and in placing and installing other parts.

It is to be understood that the terminology employed in the description of parts and procedure is not intended to be restrictive, and it is to be understood that various modifications in structure and procedure can be made both in'the described method of well construction and in the included method of attaining a filtering construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of constructing a well which comprises sinking a casing to the depth of the fluid-bearing strata, sinking below the aforesaid casing within the fluid-bearing strata a unit comprising a hollow screen, a filtering envelope, and an' outer shell for retaining the filtering envelope in place about said screen, and withdrawing said outer shell.

2 The method of constructing a well which comprises sinking a casing to the depth of the fluid-bearing strata, sinking below the afore-- bottom of said screen, and withdrawing said outer shell. 7

3. The method of constructing awell which comprises sinking a casing to the depth of the fluid-bearing strata, sinking below the. afore-- said casing within the fluid-bearing strata a unit comprising a hollow screen, a filtering envelope, and an outer shell for retaining the filtering-envelope in place about said screen, sealing the bottom of said screen, withdrawing said outer shell, and constructing a connection between said casing and said screen at .top of said filtering envelope for restraining'upward movement of thematerial composing said filtering envelope.

4. In the construction of a well, the method of obtaining a' filtering envelope about a well screen which comprises constructing outside of the well a unit consisting of the well screen, a filtering envelope surrounding said screen, and an outer shell for retaining the filtering envelope in position about said screen, installing the aforesaid unit within the fluid-bearing strata of the well, and withdrawing the outer-shell of said unit.

5. In the construction of a well, the method of obtaining a filtering construction in connection with the well casing which comprises installing below the well casing a unitcomprising a hollow screen, a filtering envelope surrounding said screen, and an outer shell for retaining the filtering envelope in position about filtering envelope in position about said screen,

sealing the bottom of "said screen, withdrawing said outer shell, and constructing a connection between the well casing and said screen at the top of said filtering envelope for restraining upward movement of the material composing said filtering envelope.

'7.'In'the construction of a well, the method of obtaining a filtering construction, in connec- '-tion'with the well casing which comprises installing below the well casing a unit comprising a hollow screen, a filtering envelope surrounding said screen, and an outer shell for retaining the filtering envelope in position about said screen, withdrawing said outershell, and constructing a connection between the. well casing and said screen at the top of thefilteringenvelope for resaid envelope.

posing said filtering envelope.

8. In the construction of a well, the method of obtaining a filtering construction in connection with the well casing which comprises instraining upward movement of the material coinstalling below the well casing in'completed form a unit comprising a hollow screen, a filtering envelope surrounding said screen, and an outer shell for retaining the filtering envelope in position about said screen, and withdrawing said outer shell.

9. In the construction of a well, the method of obtaining a filtering structure in connection with the well casingwhich comprises constructing outside of the well a unit comprising a well screen, afiltering envelope surrounding said .screen, and an outer shell for retaining aflltering envelope in position about said screen, in-

' stalling the aforesaid unit below the well casing within the fluid-bearing strata of the well, with;

drawing said'outer shell, and constructing a connection between the well casing and said screen at the top of said filtering envelope for restraining upward movement of the material composing WILLIAAM KELLY. 

